ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Achievements Under e-Nam Scheme
As on 08.12.2019, a total of 1,65,77,210 farmers in the country have been registered on National Agriculture Market  platform. As on 08.12.2019, a total of 30,10,894 farmers of Madhya Pradesh have been registered on e-NAM platform.
e-NAM, which aims at integrating mandis on a virtual platform, is a reform linked scheme. States/ Union Territories  who have carried out three mandatory reforms namely  single trading license to be valid across the State  single point levy of market fee across the State and  provision for e-auction / e-trading as a mode of price discovery; are eligible for integrating their wholesale regulated markets with e-NAM platform. Based on the proposals received from requisite reformed States/UTs, the wholesale regulated markets are approved and integrated with e-NAM platform. As per the target, 585 wholesale regulated markets have already been integrated with e-NAM platform and additional 415 wholesale regulated markets have been approved for integration with e-NAM platform.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expresses gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on inauguration of the ‘Atal Tunnel’ and described it as an engineering marvel
“A historic day for the entire country as the vision of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji comes true”
“As the longest highway tunnel in the world, 'Atal Tunnel' will reduce the travel time between Leh and Manali by 4 - 5 hours. Being an all-weather tunnel, it will also connect Lahaul-Spiti valley with the rest of the country throughout the year which used to be cut off for months earlier.”
“Atal Tunnel will prove to be a major boon for the entire region. People will now have access to better healthcare facilities, business opportunities and essential items”
“It will also strengthen our defence preparedness and generate employment by giving impetus to the tourism sector”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expresses gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on inauguration of the ‘Atal Tunnel’ and described it as an engineering marvel. In a series of tweets, Shri Amit Shah said, “A historic day for the entire country as the vision of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji comes true! Congratulations to BRO for working relentlessly on this unprecedented project.”
Shri Amit Shah said, “As the longest highway tunnel in the world, 'Atal Tunnel' will reduce the travel time between Leh and Manali by 4-5 hours. Being an all-weather tunnel, it will also connect Lahaul-Spiti valley with the rest of the country throughout the year which used to be cut off for months earlier.”
The Union Home Minister said, “Atal Tunnel will prove to be a major boon for the entire region. People will now have access to better healthcare facilities, business opportunities and essential items. It will also strengthen our defence preparedness and generate employment by giving impetus to the tourism sector.”
The 9.02 kilometre long tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 Mtrs  from Mean Sea Level . The Atal Tunnel has been designed for traffic density of 3,000 cars per day and 1,500 trucks per day, with maximum speed of 80 km/hr. It has state of the art electromechanical systems including semi transverse ventilation, SCADA controlled fire fighting, illumination and monitoring systems. The tunnel has ample safety features built into it.
The historic decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken on June 3, 2000 when late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The foundation stone for the Access Road to the South Portal of the tunnel was laid on May 26, 2002.
The Union Cabinet met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on December 24, 2019 and decided to name the Rohtang Tunnel as the Atal Tunnel, to honour the contribution made by the former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Ministry of Defence
Successful Flight Test of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile
Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile was successfully flight tested today by Defence Research & Development Organisation  from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. The launch was conducted from a vertical launcher against an electronic target at a very low altitude. The flight path of the vehicle along with health parameters were monitored using a number of tracking instruments deployed by ITR, Chandipur. All sub-systems performed as per expectation.
Today’s launch of the system was conducted to validate integrated operation of all weapon system components including the vertical launcher unit with controller, canisterised flight vehicle, weapon control system etc. required for future launches of the missile from Indian Naval Ships. The test launch was monitored by senior officials from DRDO & Indian Navy. The first trial was conducted on 22 February 2021 and this is confirmatory trial to prove the consistent performance of the configuration and integrated operation.
Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Indian Navy and industry for the successful flight test and stated that this system will further enhance defence capability of Indian Naval Ships against aerial threats.
Secretary Department of Defence Research & Development & Chairman DRDO, Dr G Satheesh Reddy has complemented the teams involved in the successful flight test and said that this has paved the way for integration of weapon system onboard Indian Naval Ships.
Ministry of Defence
Press Release: First Motorcycle Expedition to Karakoram Pass Flagged Off
The much-awaited Himalayan Heights Expedition was flagged off today by General Officer Commanding 3 Infantry Division, Maj Gen Sanjiv Rai, SM, VSM at 10 AM from Karu Military Station.
14 days, 11 bikes and 1 dream expedition, the Himalayan Heights winter bike expedition from Leh to KK Pass will cover over 1,000 km and is likely to qualify for inclusion in the record books. This road route initially used as the Afghan trade route has never been explored by any biker in the world. The expedition is led by Indian Army team comprising riders from Army Service Corps, Royal Enfield and Himalayan Motorsports.
The Team is ready to brave all odds in the unforgiving terrain and the extreme climate of the region, to complete a motorcycle expedition to Karakoram Pass. In this 20th Anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas, such adventure activities undertaken by brave Army personnel including women officers serve to renew and rekindle the spirit of fortitude, courage and adventure synonymous with the Indian Army.
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
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India’s Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 210.82 Cr
Over 4.01 Cr 1st dose vaccines administered for age group 12-14 years
India's Active caseload currently stands at 94,047
10,725 new cases reported in the last 24 hours
Recovery Rate currently stands at 98.60%
Weekly Positivity Rate is presently at 3.20%
India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 210.82 Cr  as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,80,58,526 sessions.
COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on 16 March, 2022. So far, more than 4.01 Cr  adolescents have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Similarly, the COVID-19 precaution dose administration for age group 18-59 years also started from 10th April, 2022 onwards.
The break-up of the cumulative figure as per the provisional report till 7 am today include:
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Cumulative Vaccine Dose Coverage
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HCWs
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1st Dose
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1,04,13,790
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2nd Dose
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1,01,04,153
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Precaution Dose
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66,84,832
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FLWs
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1st Dose
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1,84,34,055
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2nd Dose
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1,76,94,313
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Precaution Dose
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1,30,06,394
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Age Group 12-14 years
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1st Dose
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4,01,07,033
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2nd Dose
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2,98,06,571
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Age Group 15-18 years
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1st Dose
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6,16,00,571
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2nd Dose
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5,21,16,541
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Age Group 18-44 years
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1st Dose
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56,03,88,477
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2nd Dose
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51,23,48,736
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Precaution Dose
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5,45,72,410
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Age Group 45-59 years
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1st Dose
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20,38,65,948
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2nd Dose
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19,61,49,111
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Precaution Dose
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3,15,33,848
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Over 60 years
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1st Dose
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12,75,57,148
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2nd Dose
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12,26,00,140
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Precaution Dose
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3,92,50,276
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Precaution Dose
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14,50,47,760
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Total
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2,10,82,34,347
India’s Active Caseload currently stands at 94,047. Active cases now constitute 0.21% of the country's total Positive Cases.
Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.60%. 13,084 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients  is now at 4,37,57,385.
10,725 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.
The last 24 hours saw a total of 3,92,837 COVID-19 tests being conducted. India has so far conducted over 88.39 Cr  cumulative tests.
Weekly Positivity Rate in the country currently stands at 3.20% and the Daily Positivity rate is reported to be 2.73%.
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets President Biden
PM appreciates President Biden’s vision and commitment to bilateral relations
The leaders commend progress in implementing outcomes from PM’s historic State Visit to the US
They laud sustained momentum in iCET, defence, space and other areas
President Biden congratulates India on Chandrayaan-3’s historic landing near the lunar south pole
They exchange views on regional and global issues
PM thanks President Biden for the US’s consistent support to India’s G20 Presidency
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met President of the USA, H.E. Mr. Joseph R. Biden in New Delhi today. President Biden, who is visiting India for the first time in his capacity as President, will be participating in the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10, 2023.
Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation for President Biden’s vision and commitment to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, which is based on shared democratic values, strategic convergences and strong people-to-people ties.
The two leaders commended the progress in implementing the futuristic and wide-ranging outcomes of Prime Minister’s historic State visit to the U.S. in June 2023, including under the India-U.S. Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology .
The leaders welcomed the sustained momentum in bilateral cooperation , including in the areas of defence, trade, investment, education, health, research, innovation, culture and people-to-people ties.
President Biden warmly congratulated Prime Minister and the people of India on Chandrayaan-3’s historic landing near the lunar south pole and highlighted deepening cooperation between the two countries in Space.
The two leaders also exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues. They agreed that India- US partnership was beneficial not only for the people of the two countries but also for global good.
Prime Minister thanked President Biden for the consistent support received from the United States in ensuring success of India’s G20 Presidency.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
MoU between Indian Council of Agricultural Research  and Bureau of Energy Efficiency
An MoU was signed between Indian Council of Agricultural Research  and Bureau of Energy Efficiency , Ministry of Power, to create awareness for energy efficient pumpsets and operational practices so as to adopt energy and resource efficient approaches. The MoU was effective from 25th July 2018 to 31 March 2020.
The following benefits were derived by the farmers:
- Awareness on energy efficiency and conservation in agricultural practices, particularly in using agriculture pumpsets, tractors and other machines.
- Improving fuel efficiency and water resource use efficiency thereby reducing the cost of cultivation so as to increase farmers' income in harmony with strategies of "Per drop more crop" and "Doubling Farmers' income".
The steps being taken by the government are to coordinate with State Designated Agencies / Distribution Companies  for successfully organizing the farmers training sessions and to provide training materials to SDAs/ Krishi Vigyan Kendras  for effectively imparting training to farmers and to provide financial support to KVKs through SDAs for organizing the same.
As part of MoU, ICAR has facilitated in identifying suitable KVKs for organizing training sessions in each of the enlisted states i.e. Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala. Facilitation was done for organizing Farmers Training Sessions and creating awareness at identified KVKs located in selected States.
KVKs engaged suitable officers from regional/state agriculture department for imparting the training to farmers on related subject. Also, KVKs mobilizes local farmers and other stakeholders for participation in training sessions.
During 2018-19 and 2019-20, 49 KVKs organized training programs on energy efficiency , in which 3644 farmers participated.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Rs 11,141.28 Crores paid to the farmers as MSP in Uttar Pradesh as the State records highest ever procurement of Wheat
58% more wheat procured in Rabi Marketing Season 2021-22 in Uttar Pradesh as compared to RMS 2020-21
Record quantity of 56.41 LMT procurement of Wheat during Rabi Marketing Season 2021-22 in Uttar Pradesh as compared to 35.77 LMT Wheat procured from 6.64 lakh farmersin RMS 2020-21
Record procurement of 66.84 LMT paddy from 10.22 lakh farmers of Uttar Pradesh during KMS 2020-21
During Current RMS 2021-22, a record quantity of 56.41 Lakh Metric Tonnes Wheat was procured from 12.98 lakh farmers at Minimum Support Price in Uttar Pradesh. This is the highest ever procurement of Wheat in the history of the State. A total of Rs 11,141.28 Crores has been paid to the farmers as MSP. There is an increase of 58% from RMS 2020-21 during which 35.77 Lakh Metric Tonnes wheat was procured from 6.64 lakh farmers.
Procurement in Uttar Pradesh had shown a record Paddy also during Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21 itself. A record procurement of 66.84 Lakh Metric Tonnes paddy was done from 10.22 lakh farmers of Uttar Pradesh during KMS 2020-21. This is the highest ever procurement of Paddy in the history of the State. A total of Rs 12491.88 Crores has been paid to the farmers of Uttar Pradesh as MSP.
It may be noted that current Marketing Season RMS 2021-22 has concluded in most of wheat procuring States and upto 8th July, 2021 a quantity of 433.32 LMT of Wheat has been procured  against the last year corresponding purchase of 387.50 LMT. About 49.16 Lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing RMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs. 85,581.02 Crore.
Paddy procurement in the ongoing season Kharif 2020-21 is also continuing smoothly in the procuring States with purchase of 866.05 LMTs of paddy  upto 8th July, 2021 against the last year corresponding purchase of 756.80 LMT. About 127.72 Lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs. 1,63,510.77 Crore. Paddy procurement has also reached at all time high level, surpassing previous high of 773.45 LMT in KMS 2019-20.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Australia for collaboration in capacity building, research and development and making impact for sustainable groundwater management
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding  signed between Central Ground Water Board , Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga rejuvenation, India and Managing Aquifer Recharge and Sustaining Groundwater use through village-level intervention  PARTNERS, Australia in October, 2019.
The MoU has been signed to promote cooperation in surface and groundwater training, education and research to achieve water security for agricultural, urban, industrial and environmental purposes.
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addresses the Global Conference on Integrative Healthcare and Communication at New Delhi.
Addressing the Global Conference on Integrated Healthcare and Communication, in which experts from different countries participated, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said, COVID has shifted the medical fraternity's attention to integrated healthcare and now Physicians across the world are looking for optimum synergism among different streams of medical management.
Notable among others who spoke during the webinar included Professor Elissa Epel from University of California, Dr Peter Wayne from Harvard, Dr Susan Bauer Wu from Latin America, Professor Vikram Patel from Harvard and others.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, during the COVID pandemic, several Allopathic Medical professionals who were hitherto sceptic about other systems of Medicine, started showing interest in immunity-building drugs and resistance boosters from Ayurveda and Homeopathy. If every adversity is accompanied with a virtue, he said, as far as medical fraternity is concerned, the pandemic had prompted all the different streams of medical practice to come together and find an optimum meeting point
Even during the pre-COVID era, it had been proven with evidence that in the treatment of non-communicable diseases, like for example, Diabetes-Mellitus, the dose of insulin or oral anti-diabetic drugs could be brought down with the adjuvant practice of certain Yoga Asana and lifestyle modifications available in Naturopathy. However, he said, there was a certain amount of scepticism in certain quarters, which has been done away with in the face of the COVID challenge.
India, said Dr Jitendra Singh, in the first half of 20th century was known to have a high prevalence of infectious disease and at that time non-Pharmacological practices like maintenance of hygiene used to be a part of the prescription. But, if somewhere down the line it had got forgotten, COVID had revived these practices through social distancing and hand wash, and the entire world is constrained to adopt them, he said,
Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that ever since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister of India, he has brought to the centre stage the virtues of indigenous system of medical management. He said, it was Modi, who brought a unanimous resolution in the United Nations to observe International Day of Yoga, as a result of which Yoga has reached virtually every household across the world.
It has again Prime Minister Modi, he said, who created a separate Ministry of AYUSH, considering the importance of indigenous medical management system.
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Ministry of Science & Technology
AICTE approves inclusion of Geospatial as a subject in GATE and NET exam
Students competing for the popular National Eligibility Test  for Junior Research Fellowship  and lectureship in Indian universities and colleges, including IITs and NITs and Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering  for JRF in CSIR laboratories, can now opt for Geospatial as a subject.
The All India Council of Technical Education  has approved for the inclusion of Geospatial subject in GATE and NET examination on the recommendation of the National Geospatial Task Force Report 2013 under the Chairmanship of former ISRO Chairman, Dr. K. Kasturirangan.
Department of Science and Technology  as an organisation and many professionals have highlighted the need for Geospatial subject especially in GATE and NET examination at different forums.
Dr. K. C. Tiwari , Department of Science and Technology’s Geospatial Chair Professor, Centre of Geoinformatics, Delhi Technological University, had made sincere efforts for inclusion of Geospatial Subject in the GATE and NET examination, and the decision was an outcome of DST’s insistence and his hard work.
This will benefit the increasing number of students who are taking up geospatial as a subject at different levels and help in the evolution of Geospatial Ecosystem in the country
The Natural Resources Data Management System  under DST is an interdisciplinary research programme which promoted R&D in emerging areas of geospatial science, technology, and its applications to area-specific problems. Over the years, it has successfully demonstrated utilities of geospatial technologies in decision making and developed capacity for geospatial data and information management at state, district, and local levels at pilot scale.
Now, it is evolving into National Geospatial Programmeforcatalyzing the national geospatial ecosystem and promoting geospatial science and technology solutions, capacity building, entrepreneurship, and international cooperation for sustainable sociology-economic development at all levels of governance and also stressing on including geospatial subject at different levels.
“Geospatial science and technology is a rapidly evolving subject that forms the backbone of a plethora of planning, development and governance activities with unprecedented opportunities both in the government and private sectors. Swamitva, a recent scheme launched by the Prime Minister is a good example to map rural inhabited lands using drones and latest survey methods. The scheme among other things will streamline planning, revenue collection and property rights and thus have a huge positive impact on securing loans by the owners and dispute resolution related to properties,” said Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister congratulates Tharman Shanmugaratnam for winning Singapore’s presidential election
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Tharman Shanmugaratnam on his election as the President of Singapore.
In a X post, the Prime Minister said;
“Hearty congratulations @Tharman_s on your election as the President of Singapore. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership.”